1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to musical instruments, and more particularly to devices which aid in playing musical instruments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stringed instruments typically have a hollow, resonant body; a long, narrow neck extending from the body; and a row of strings stretched between a bridge provided on the base of the body to a bridge provided near the end of the neck. Some stringed instruments are fretted, such as guitars and banjos, and other stringed instruments, such as the violin, are not.
Different chords are produced on a stringed instrument by pressing various strings against the neck of the instrument with the fingers of one hand and strumming or plucking the strings with the other hand. One of the greatest difficulties in learning to play a stringed instrument is memorizing the correct fingers positions for various musical chords.
This problem has been addressed in the prior art by the development of a number of chord playaing attachments for stringed instruments. Examples of such chord playing attachments can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,030,400; 3,915,051; 2,669,151; 2,517,000; 3,446,108; 3,776,008; 3,422,717; 2,450,210; and 4,331,059.
Typically, the chord playing attachments of the prior art include a support member, means for attaching the support member to the neck of the instrument, and a number of pushbuttons coupled to the support member and adapted to press one or more strings against the neck of the instrument. A problem with the chord playing attachments of the prior art is that they tend to be more complex than that required for a person just beginning to learn how to play the instrument.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,400 of Castillo, a plurality of hermetically closed systems are used to press the strings against the neck of the instrument, each system including a pair of pneumatically operated bellows. Other devices, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,517,000 of LaRose use a number of pivots, levers, and actuators to accomplish the same result. The mechanisms of Castillo and Rose are very sophisticated to allow many different chords to be played. This very sophistication, however, increases the complexity and cost of the attachment.
Another problem with chord playing attachments of the prior art is with their attachment mechanism which couple them to the neck of the guitar. Some attachment mechanisms, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,108 of Mitchell are extraordinarily complex, including a number of adjustments, thumb screws, etc. On the other hand, other chord playing attachments, such as that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,088 of Jones are so simple that the user may find it difficult to align the device properly with the strings of the instrument.